Mr. Chairman Assistant Director-General of Health of Canada Members of the Diplomatic Corps Executive Secretary, CROSQ Members of Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat Ladies and Gentlemen

As Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community it gives me very special pleasure to welcome you to our new Headquarters here at Turkeyen, and I hope that your deliberations will not only be enjoyable but fruitful.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as you may be aware, the preparation of the economies of the Member States of this Community for eventual integration into the new global economy is one of our principal tasks. The route, we as CARICOM have chosen is the establishment of a Single Market and Economy. This involves the creation of a single enlarged economic space which provides for the free movement of goods, services, skilled labour, capital and the right of establishment among the Member States of the Community.

Given the importance of this objective, specific provision is made in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas in Article 67 to deal with the important underlying issue of the standards and technical regulations which would be required for this goal to be achieved. That Article, first of all, defines standards as the guideline approved by a recognised body that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for products or related processes and production methods

The Article goes on to state that “the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), shall in collaboration with competent Agencies develop a standardized programme in furtherance of the objectives of this Chapter, and consistent with the international obligation of Member States.”

The standardization programme referred to is to have the following objectives:

• Trade Facilitation
• Enhanced Efficiency in the Delivery of Goods and Services
• Improved Quality of Goods and Services traded within the Community and with Third States
• Consumer and Environmental Protection

There are of course a number of elements specified in the Article under reference. What is of particular relevance here today is the following:

“The Community shall promote the establishment of a Regional Standards Body, which shall among other things, facilitate implementation of the standardisation programme, assist Member States in understanding and fulfilling their obligations under this Treaty and other International agreements (of course which deals with the issue of Standards), and facilitate access to technical assistance, available in member States and Third States.”

The Caribbean Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) is that Body, and therein lies its charge.

One cannot overstress the importance attaching to the issue of proper agreed, common standards which ensure that the products traded by Member States are not only of good quality but are able to compete regionally and internationally, and meet international health and environmental safety standards.

Given the pervasive nature of standardisation, underpinning as it does, so many of the important areas of focus of the Community, there is obvious need for a concomitant enhancement of the interaction and collaboration between and among the institutions of the Community. This points to the critical role that CROSQ must play in the development of our Community. Already, in a mere two years since its establishment, CROSQ is already making a giant leap in its contribution to the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). This must continue and indeed, be enhanced.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our goal of achieving a Single Market by January 2006, and a single economy by 2008, if it is to be achieved requires a full team effort. CROSQ role in this endeavour is important, indeed a formidable one, if we are to achieve the level of competitiveness required, a secured position in the international market place. It is to this end that I invite you to turn your efforts, as you deliberate on CROSQ’s role in that process.

I wish your deliberations all success.